Bag-fastener.



No. 738,014. PATBNTED SEPT.1, 1903. o. w. DU ERANB.

BAG PASTENBR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

lsito. regole.

gatented September 1, 193l;

PATENT OFFICE.

cnAnLEs w. DU EEANE, oE nonoKEN, NEW JERSEY.

BAG-FASTENER;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,014, datedSeptember 1, 1903.

Application led August 6,1902.

To' (all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W'. DU FRANE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBag-Fasteners, .of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to satchels, suit-cases, and the like devices; andthe primary object thereof is to provide a new and improved automaticlatch especially adapted for use in connection with a device of theabove character and also one that is cheap, durable, and ecient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a latch which may beconveniently applied to any device having a hinged cover withoutmaterially altering the construction of the device.

Still further objects of the invention will appear as the nature of thesame is more fully understood from the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification and illustrating the preferred form of my invention.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangementof parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a satchel constructed in accordancewith myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary view in elevation ofone jaw of the frame, the horizontal flange thereof being in section..Fig. 3 is a similar view of the other jaw of the frame. Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view of the frame in alinement with one of thehousings, the jaws thereof being in closed position. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of the latchblock. Fig. 6 is a detail perspectiveview'of a fragmentary portion of one of the bolts.

The numeral 1 designates a bag, and 2 and 3 the jaws of a frame of aSatchel. The `jaws 2 and 3 comprise strips of metal L-shaped incross-section, providing vertically and horizontally disposed anges 4and 5, respectively, and the ends thereof are downwardly bent andhingedly connected. The verticallydisposed flanges 4 are adapted to havesecured thereto in any desired manner the adjacent edges of the bag 2.The horizontallydisposed flange 5 of the jaw 2 is provided Serial No.118,671. (No modcL,

with a centrally-located opening 6, having situated therebeneath acasing 7, adapted to` contain a sliding latch-'block 8, and having theside walls thereof provided with alining slots 9. The opening 6 isclosed by a covering 10, having the upper side thereof provided with acentrally located aperture, through which may pass, to engage thelatchblock 8, a key 11. The latch-block 8 is provided upon the facethereof with two slots 12, oppositely inclined from the center thereof,and a vertically and centrally disposed recess 13, provided withscrew-threads, and into which is adapted to be inserted the key 1l tooperate the latch-block. The ange 5 of the jaw 2 is provided with aplurality of openings 14, arranged in longitudinal alinement with theslots 9, and housing said open` ings to provide seats 15 are caps 16,which may be formed integral with the flange 5 or made separately andsecured thereto.

17 designates sliding bolts, each having one of its ends passing throughthe slots 9 to deposewithin the casing pins 18 to permit of theirengagement with the slots 12, whereby when the latch-block 8 is causedto move upward the bolts are drawn inwardly to release the jaw 3 fromlocked engagement with the jaw 2. The bolts 17 are provided withsupporting-lugs 19, adapted to extend through the openings 14, andmounted thereon are heads 20, adapted to rest upon the seats 15 tosupport the bolts in a horizontal plane and to permit of longitudinalmovements being imparted to them. Secured to the front faces of thebolts 17 are means for engaging slots 21 in a keeper 22, secured to thehorizontal flange 5 of the jaw 3, said means comprising angularprojections 23. The slots 21 are suficiently large to permit of theprojections eX- tending therethrough and being brought into contact withthe inner wall of the keeper to normally retain the jaws 2 and 3 inlocked engagement.

The bolts 17 are adapted to be normally projected by means of a spring24, which is approximately U-shaped and secured to the lower wall of thecasing S, to place the ends thereof in contact with the inner ends ofthe bolts.

The key 11 is preferably constructed. from a single piece of metalhaving the upper end thereof bent to form a loop 25 to permit of theinsertion of the inger,whereby the same may be manipulated. The stem 26of the key is screw-threaded to correspond to the screw-threaded recess13, into which it is inserted to permit of the latch-block beingoperated to release the jaws from locked engagement with each other.

The operation of my invention may be eX- plained as follows: The bolts17, being normally held projected by means of the spring 24, theprojections 23 will engage the wall of the keeper behind the slots 21 tosecure the jaws in locked relation by causing the jaws to approach eachother. The projections 28 have the ends thereof beveled, whereby whenthe edges of the slots 2l are brought into contact therewith during theoperation of closing the satchelvthe bolts 17 are moved inward in thecasing to be immediately projected when the projections are in theslots, placing them in engagement with the Wall behind the slots tosecure the jaws in locked engagement. The jaws may be released fromlocked engagement with each other by exerting an upward pull upon thelatch-block through the medium of the key 11, which movement of thelatch-block, through virtue of the inclined slots 12 and the engagementof the pins 18 therewith, will draw the bolts 17 inward, withdrawing theprojections 23 from engagement with the keeper,leaving the Satchel freeto be opened.

It is obvious from the above description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, that I provide a latch of a new and improvedconstruction which is cheap, durable, and efficient and which willaccomplish the desired results.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination withthe jaws of a Satchel-frame; of a latch-block slidably mounted in one ofsaid jaws and having inclined slots therein, oppositely-extending boltsslidably mounted on said jaw,pins upon the bolts and slidably mountedwithin the slots, a spring upon the block and interposed between, andbearing upon, the bolts, and means upon the bolts for engaging theopposite jaw.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with aSatchel-jaw havingl slots therein; of a second slotted jaw, boltsslidably mounted on said second jaw, supporting-lugs upon the bolts andslidably mounted in said jaw, locking projections upon the bolts andadapted to engage the slots in the first-mentioned jaw,a casing upon thesecond jaw having slots to receive the bolts, a latch-block slidablymounted therein and having inclined slots, pins upon the bolts engagingthe slots, a spring interposed between the bolts and secured tothelatch-block, and means for operating the latch-block.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES IV. DU FRANE.

Witnesses:

W. P. CATLIN, ROBERT C. FULTON.

